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One of B.C.’s biggest unions is calling on the province to allow its employees to work from home due to the rising cost of fuel.
The B.C. General Employees Union (BCGEU) says that in order to help conserve fuel and save on the cost of gas, employees, where possible, should get to work from home full-time.
“The increasing price of gas places an undue burden on workers across the province,” BCGEU president Paul Finch said in a statement.
“The provincial government has an opportunity to help alleviate that burden by allowing workers the flexibility to work from home. In addition to lessening the pain workers are feeling at the pump, this move would help reduce emissions and congestion.”
The BCGEU says it is joining the call by the Canadian Association of Professional Employees (CAPE) asking governments to implement the International Energy Agency’s recommendations for reducing demand for oil and gas.
The BCGEU says it is also asking the B.C. government to explore options to provide temporary relief for workers who need to travel “extensively” for work, such as home support and community outreach workers, as they may not have many options for public transportation if the fuel prices remain high.
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The war in Iran has driven up fuel prices in recent weeks, with no relief in sight.
In Metro Vancouver, the average cost of gas is hovering around $2 a litre on Monday.
Several provinces, including Manitoba, British Columbia and New Brunswick, retain more flexible hybrid work rules for government workers, but other provinces have mandated employees back to the office full-time.
As of Jan. 5, Ontario provincial government employees are expected to work in the office five days per week.
Alberta’s public service also returned to full-time, in-office work in February to “strengthen collaboration, accountability and service delivery for Albertans,” a spokesperson for the Alberta government said.
The BCGEU is one of the largest unions in British Columbia, with more than 95,000 members in almost every community and economic sector, including nearly 35,000 public service workers.
— With files from The Canadian Press
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